Instructions to jurors change with social media
Trials could be undone by online posts
By Mary Ann Cavazos, Corpus Christi Caller Times
Posted January 24, 2010 at 10:33 p.m. , updated January 25, 2010 at 4:21 a.m.
CORPUS CHRISTI — A few clicks on Google or a tweet from a juror can spell disaster.
It used to be that judges could simply tell jurors not to read newspapers or watch television news reports about a case. But the explosion of social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and MySpace has many judges adding more warnings to avoid mistrials.
“The information has always been available,” State District Judge Bobby Galvan said. “Now, it’s just ultra available. Everyone googles things.”
Judges have long included warnings not to drive by or visit the scene of a crime. But online tools like Google Maps mean jurors can peek at the scene through satellite views and find out how long it would take to drive from one place to another. Going to a law book is specifically ruled out, but finding that same information online is only a few clicks away.
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